ChopstiX Chinese Cuisine

Been sitting and waiting at the table now for 15 minutes and no one has even been by to take our drink order. We won’t be staying.

This is one of my favorite Chinese restaurants in Albuquerque (the others being Budai and Best Lee’s). It is much closer to my home than the other two, so it has become my go-​to for takeout on a busy evening.
The ChopstiX online menu doesn’t reflect everything they have to offer, so that can be frustrating unless you already know what you want (the online menu mostly shows the standard Americanized chinese fare). If you dine in, the walls are lined with papers showcasing «off-​menu» special items that are always tempting.
Dishes to order:
— I happen to love Cashew Chicken and theirs is one of the best in the city. It is flavorful with a nice brown sauce that isn’t too gloppy, and filled with fresh veggies.
— On the advice of another Unilocal review, I ordered the Garlic Eggplant — it is AWESOME! Sweet and savory and piping hot, I like to order it as a side dish and it is great as leftovers too.
— The Ginger Chicken is just a little spicy and very flavorful. Redolent of ginger with some red pepper heat, flavorful chunks of chicken and large slices of ginger are sautéed together for a meaty and satisfying dish (goes great with the aforementioned eggplant, too).
– Wonton Soup is flavorful and has the unexpected delight of including seaweed, which I personally enjoy (although it may not be everyone’s cup of tea).
I’ll report back when I have tried more dishes, but so far these are my favorite.

What a hidden gem. I love love the food here. We had he lunch special of twice cooked pork. Delish. The green beans were off the hook. Reminds me of my grandma’s food from Taiwan. Also got the sugar and vinegar ribs. Let’s just say we will come back for more.

The best Chinese I’ve yet had in Albuquerque, which maybe isn’t saying a lot (its hard out there for the lover of authentic Chinese food.) Still, despite a name which would cause you to expect the worst, you can get real Chinese food here — mustard greens, sticky buns (sadly, microwaved,) stinky tofu, weird cow parts (a good sign, though i don’t go there myself), and szechuan peppers.

This place is great. Really interesting menu, plus plenty of old favorites. I just wish they were open later!

My husband and I love ChopstiX. Their prices are fair, the food is great and the environment is wonderful. The staff is absolutely kind-​hearted and welcoming.

After a while we tried menu on the wall and we love Japanese tofu and sweet potato leaves.

As a Chinese, my review for the restaurant is highly recommend!
I am from northern China and chef maybe manager is from Beijing (next to my hometown Tianjin). Very tasty beef noodle soup and it excels my cooking skill. Hope the restaurant have a great future 恭喜发财！

This spot is great for yummy Chinese food. I lean toward the usual American faves – General Tso’s, Kung Paos, etc… However, there were more traditional options available, such as Chicken Feet and Beef Tendon. I really enjoyed the dishes I tried. If you’re feeling adventurous, check out unique specials posted along the wall.
Staff were kind enough to help me when I was unsure of some menu items. Prices were reasonable.
Lot parking available nearby.

My best guess is that many of the other reviewers don’t know any better. Food quality is mediocre, I had general chows (yes, I was corrected by the server on the pronunciation); the meat was cheap, fatty and poorly fried. I’m disappointed. The restaurant itself is clean and quaint, nice wait staff.

Before I make a judgment call on a film or a play, I wait awhile. A few hours after the show, I reflect. If I’m still digesting what I saw, I recommend it, and if I’m not, I basically consider it Chinese food: good going down, but void of substance in the long run.
A full six hours after my to-​go order of ginger chicken at ChopstiX, I’m still stuffed, in fact my belly continues making room for the entire ordeal, and reminding me of the joy with tasty lil’ ginger burps. It’s a great find in ABQ, which is chock-​full of Chinese restaurants that barely make the grade. The dining room is smallish, but the service appeared really friendly, including this interaction with the woman who took my order, whom I assumed was the owner:
Her: What would you like?
Me: Can you tell me what you like? What’s the best on the menu?
Her: What kind of meat do you like?
Me: Anything. I’m easy.
Her: Maybe you like this pork dish? Or seafood? We have good seafood. Oh, no, I know what you Americans like: orange chicken, sweet and sour. Yes, you like this.
Me: No, no really, I’d like to try something new. Is the ginger chicken good?
Her: Yes, yes! Ginger chicken is very nice.
This American actually prefers something that isn’t fried and coated in corn syrup, and I highly recommend the same for you. And as I awaited the meal, I noted that this place serves up some unusual dishes, to boot. They aren’t on the menu, they’re papered on the wall, stuff like neck bone and exotic soups. Can’t wait to come back.

Came here with a group of 5 others for lunch. Their prices are very reasonable especially when compared to the large portions (they also have lunch specials). Service was fast, food was good (my son and I shared the sesame chicken with fried rice and he LOVED the rice) and all the staff was super friendly. If I were in this area of town I would definitely return. It’s a little tricky to find — located in a little shopping complex with a Hastings (corner of Lomas and San Pedro). Note: they have a sign on the door saying that there is a $ 10 minimum to pay by credit card.

Food was really good. For a Chinese restaurant, it was not too oily. Each dish tasted really good. Love their Hot Pot beef and crispy tofu!

This is my favorite restaurant in Burque and has been for years. I always come out feeling very satisfied and lingering joy at the tastes that have passed thru my mouth. I rarely order the typical American Chinese dishes and go straight for the authentic ones — the ones you don’t know. There are so many that my favorite is to get a number (8 – 14) of friends together and feast upon a treasure trove of flavors.
Favorites: Cabbage w/​Bacon (ask for it), House Green Bean (w or w/​o pork), Mustard Greens w/​Dried Tofu or Jackie Chan Style, Pork w/​Pickled Kolrabi, Salt & Peppered Squid or Shrimp, Garlic Eggplant, oh, my recent favorite — Tofu Fish Balls, Mu Shu Pork, House Chicken Leg, Carrots w/​Pork — didn’t know carrots could be so tasty, Garlic Shrimp, Pickled Seaweed Salad — not the seaweed taste you know, House Soup, and the Fried Rice is delicious and not the ubiquitous salty brown.
I highly recommend Chopstix for the food — it’s where the cook focuses. While the furnishings are clean it is a diner where you take your family to enjoy some of the best Chinese food to be had in USA. Price is good as well — used to be a steal with almost all the dishes under $ 10, but now are in the $ 9 – 12 range; still a bargain for some of the best food in town.

Service was super quick and very helpful! The lunch specials were ridiculously good and totally reasonable. The portions were generous (my hubby and I both had about half to take home). The hot and sour soup was really good and I will most likely choose it over egg drop every time. The egg rolls that came with the lunch special were crispy. Great value without sacrificing quality and service!

Our new favorite chinese restaurant here in ABQ. Haven’t ordered anything we didn’t like. It’s the most authentic you can get here in ABQ.

Best Chinese food in ABQ. Authentically flavored, Sichuan leaning. The Sichuan peppercorn takes center stage in a lot of dishes. The Dan Dan noodles are divine and are very similar to Sichuan water boiled dishes. I absolutely loved the mustard green and pork dish. It’s fresh and heavy and light all at the same time. My next stop is the more authentic dishes on the wall. Any place where «numb» is a flavor is a good place. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and can’t wait for my weekly trips.

This place reminds us of the small family run places in China town, Chicago. We really like the familiar feeling, and ordering off the rotating menu on the wall. Half the customers were Chinese, in a city where there aren’t many — maybe that sums it up well. The foods were well prepared, and cooked correctly. This will probably be a weekly place for us now.

Egg drop soup was good, disappointed in the pork buns they weren’t steamed the outside had the texture of a bun that had been microwaved general tso was just ok but the moo shu *sp pork was the star of the night. The flavor was right on, the sauce wasn’t too bogged down or heavy, the pork was tender and the veggies were fresh. The waitress seemed to be really in the weeds though the place wasn’t that full, it seemed she was juggling a lot of to go orders. Our dinner took about 30 min after we ordered which felt like an eternity. Prob order the pork to go.

Ai-​ya! I can’t believe that I have yet to write a phenomenal review for this place! Both my husband and I are Chinese Americans and we can attest to the fine food that Chopstix offers. First of all, their prices are so reasonable and the food… well, it’s food that both of our mamas would be proud to serve to their families. This is the authentic stuff, babies, not the goopy sweet and sour sauced-​up fare you get at the Americanized places (which has its good moments too, don’t get me wrong). No, Chopstix is the stuff we grew up on. It’s classic, homestyle northern Chinese cuisine (northern Chinese cuisine features a lot more wheat, as seen in the bread and noodle offerings at Chopstix) with some spicy Szechuan fare as well. Watch out for the spicy dishes… this stuff is not your typical «hot» but instead, is something what we Chinese like to call, «ma-​la,» which is both hot and numbing. The Szechuan peppercorns in ma-​la tickles your tastebuds and temporarily numbs them, which enhances the sensory delights of the dish you’re eating. Our favorites? I’m partial to the Mei Gan Tsai Sou Rou, or the Steamed Pork with Pickled vgetable. It’s sweet, savory, and the fatty cuts of pork go so well with rice. I also like the Dong Po Pork, which is also a fatty cut of pork belly that has been braised until tender. The Jackie Chan Special, mustard greens with dried tofu and strips of lean pork is delicious and a fine example of down-​home Chinese cooking. We love the House Tofu, which are squares of tofu that have been deep fried then braised until flavorful and tender. Green beans with pork are better than I’ve found anywhere else, truly! If you are feeling adventurous, try my childhood favorite, Ma Yi Shan Shu (Ants Climbing a Tree), which are spicy vermicelli noodles with ground pork. I always ask them to tone down the spice since I’m a wimp, but honestly, I would advise any of my friends to start out easy if they’re unfamiliar with their level of heat. Their Mongolian Beef is also excellent, which I like to get as a lunch special.
Chopstix is the type of place that makes ABQ even more homey for those of us who miss homestyle Chinese food. The lunch specials alone should be a reason to visit and the amazing specials that they have posted all over their walls are great for the more adventurous. Pig’s ear? Sure! (It’s good, really.) Chicken feet? Mmmm.
Anyways, what are you waiting for? Go! Now!